Breather for temperature rise alarm systems



Nov. 23, 1937. F. M. cowAN 2,100,184

BRETHER FOR TEMPERATURE RISE ALARM SYSTEMS Filed May 24. 1933 xmmam INVENTOR- an Cowan.;

I @MZI r ATTQRNEY- Patented Nev. z3, 1937 2,100,184

UNITEDLSTATES AitimArnaiz:son TEMPERATURE :use 5.x'-

.. srs'rnags Frank BL Cowan, PlainfieidfN. J.; a'ssignoito' American District Telegraph Company,- New. f l

VYork, N.Y., a corporation oi' NewiJersey- V 'I '5l-1" sprachigen 24,1933. 'segni Noia- 125er mf i sclsims. .(cl. 1v1-355i wv The present invention relates to'l an improvecauses the seal to. becompressed and tightened in ment in vent means for air-tube ire alarm systhe nipple 'seat and againstntheairtube1,.- thus tems in which alarms or signals'are actuated by a sealing and grippingfthetube. firmly. inoperative heat sensitive, expansive fluid in a tube, in which position.` ggf; 'l `.,I.-.-. ,l

6 the alarm system will not f unction untilasudden; At 'the opposite 'fend of` the bored cross llpie ce ,2iis 5 predetermined rate of' rise in temperature Lis integrally connected a' second upright 2', the, duct reached.V i n '8v or which communicateswith duct "i, the'lu'pper yOne object o! the inventio'nfis to provide an' Venlcioffsaid'upright21.beingthreaded. as atht'rto improved compensating vent" means iors'uch a receive' thereon a 'threld'ed'nipple 4..v The lupper 10 tube system, which is adjustable to'varying condiend otduct!" is tapered inwardly toff'orm ajseat 10 tions -of local installations and suroundin`gs'td upon which is mountedffrubber, sealingjplugril. compensate pressures produced ',within 'the tube In the'centenoi the sealing'plug .illismounted' system by normal temperature changes in the proavent 'plug'i l shown enlarged, in section, in Figs.- tected area, and to prevent the operation fthe 4 andl.; f

system until the rate o! temperature'rise exceeds A' protectin'g breather cap AIl, having animiert- 16 apredetennined amount.` 1 f bore of larger ,diameter` thanthe' vent plug ,vii is Still other objects ofthe invention will appear provided within1 bre'athervent hole i5. andat its as the kdescription proceeds:` an'd while the details lower end is provided with ya flared pressure flange ci the herein invention are described and claimed, Il'. l Thefunc'tion of thiscap iQ is to permit air many and various changes may be made without from the duct system' to expand to atrrios-l departing from the scope of'l tbeinvention as phere,'whi1e sufilcientlyfprotecting the ,ventplug claimed in the broader claims. l il from dust and the like.' so as to rriair 1t al nI said,

The present improvement is shown in "connecventplug'athigh efilciency. 17455. .i tion with a detector alarm system." 'n' Whenjlthis latter'described assembly isinithel In the drawing. position noted in Fig. 1, the'threaded nipple com- Fig. l is a plan view oi.' a detector system utilized pressesy the rubber. seal i2 into its seats andthe in conjunction with my improvement;`-`u g Y detormationthereof causes it to, firmlysurround Fig. 2 is a section al elevation thereof taken' on andgrip the ventplug in atight operative posi-` the line 2'2, Fig. l. looking in the direction ofylthe'v tion. The tunctionfotlth'e flared illang'e- Il( sthe arrows, with a diagrammaticillustratlon ci'part same as for thejcbnd@ l'fier I0'.."` t ha't: il's'to 30 of an alarm system: l "'.M' to'holdjthe uppefr"end"ot'the enlarged portion-pt;

m. 'sin 'sframent'ry ,sectional fviewfr'thq therubbergnp'gsearzizgin'nrm grip asaiiistnijevent member and its sealing/means with `the: comtapered seatgljand'to prevent" twistingr therubber pression locking 'means removed; EN" fj v seal whenamzdng orremovinethe thr'eg' ed evs ne. 4 u anenlargedsectionnviewin'eievstipn' g, ,f' w i of the improved'vent'element:'and 'f t the*` center of'th 'cross or base' pleegt- IL lligrisan-eniarged'tran 'erse's'ectionaljviem Fig.' .41, .there is, locitteclff,a threaded..bossinto taken on the line B-ll'lgger'" f fill ff'f which lis'rn`, uhted.' aiitfg'reigLthrealiei plugl 1 the-- In Ilig.- 2' there is shownrim',informative*purffA -upperend og'jwhich has aihead 28, betweengwhich 40 poses, an alarm actuatingmeans 'for an'jairtubefandfthetop "ofQthe.'bcss'.,4 with washers' l21, ism 'protective :syst/sm.' in which'- a -portionioilah air clamped'a bored'brachetfarm 2B. The upper en d tube I. having a bore I' therein','is' entered at its oftarmlgl supportab'ylgscrewszm an-insluiating, terminal end intoia seal= generallyfdenotedrby. IllY ar'mNIIL en fthej outer end .ot'whih is threadedly and having an intermediate bulbous' portion.' "Thai mountedan"ad,i ustable;`headed contact. screwgli.; bulbous portion ,of the leal which is madechhigh" Ai ,"rllthejlscrew lilhasbeeaadjusted ,by its head 145 grade. so !t ,rubber; restlixra taperediaeatiimthe, ligthe'f-lock'f-futzfij, i'.iirriedto` holdvthescrew; upper endj'i', of., a threaded fnippi I'gfgithe .-lowerig ix .adiusted-i' position. 21nd,! l'simultaneouslyfhclds hstubel communicatinnwitnthe an' outstanding jolderingiconnector2,21 in position y wmf# bemewehbwfelm.. fitbsdectfl-Qfr um 8.2: which wmmunict Wm? 91.1 "-"f @P9-.upper 9.0m .Mthetopfithejrlus,

tion .or 'therubber seal,il rseata1'a',coned metal` iixedlylmounted fa single bellows diaphragm, il. washer |l'.":andthis .washer 'il'inturn the. interior. otvwnichf'opens into the-bored! of.- upon by a 'threaded sealing. cap 3, wherebyltl'ie` plug It, 'and thusthe'inte'rior of the-diaphragm es bulb-seal il is compressed, so that itadeformation Iis in connection with the ductsystem B-l, 1, I'. 4ius the desired rate of now.'

and I1, and is therefore a eoted whm the air pressure in said system is ailected by temperature rises oi a predetermined abnormal rate in duct system l'.. 'I'he upper tace ofthe diaphragm carries a central contact I9, which in turn is con-v nected to a connector 2l in arm 23, by a ilexible connector I9'. The connector. is connected by a wire 29, toene terminalpfzan electric ,alarm signal Il. 'the other 'terminal of signal 3| being connected to current sourceZ;

As thus described, and [shown intrig.y l the alarm circuit is open. Su'dden temperature changes, upwardly, causethe air tol expand in the duct system, cause the diaphragml to expand, the contact I9 touches contact screw 20,- and closes the alarm circuit, andcauses signal 3l to' indicate the pressure change within the duct. system. Slow rises and -drops in temperatures are permitted in the usualinranner, withoutslg As previous stated, condit'is' 'surrounding each installation of this alarm'fsystem may be unlike, and with a standard, uniformly'acting vent means at the breather end 4 of thlsfsystem, some means must be'provided whereby ajstanda'rdised, system venting means II, may befscv'aried I n its operativefunction that the variable' slow rate of rise.. of pressures in different installations may be inet, to lobtain accurate and emcient action.

Tothis fend a ventingg-,plug II isI provided, wherein by 'manual adjustment only', in its opera# tive position-)before closingdtover'with the protection cap Il, the vent plug' may be set to cou-l trol the emission of air fromthe duct systemlat As will be noted in Figs. 1, 3,' 4`,' 5, the vent plug' iscrlindrical and is'provided"with an'in'- ternal bore, which isl blind, i. e., isjopen only at oneend preferablyits' upperl end.`j.The plug II itself is made of a sultable materialjof porous nature,` the internal physical poresfof'whlchfare sumciently open and interconnected as to `permit air to pass therethrough in eitherdirection, .and thus control the slow rate of air iiow into (inoutA of the'duct system. i "4 Many 'porous materialsmay be advantage6uslyutilized 'for-tins purpose, and someo! theseare brick, unglazed vitriiiable' materiah, carbon, unbalred porcelain and carborimdumlff 0f these, carbon has'been i'ormd'to have many adyantages in that lt is of lowcost, stable, uni'` form in porosity, easy to manufacture I4andina-fv chine 'and extremely lasting', wlthoutloss' of-"eilif" ciency over long periods of time,'in'installation.

In action, the air passes through the porous walls and bottom into the interior herel Il and from thence tof atmosphere tl'irough'I vent.l Il in capa',whp a temperature rise' 'expands'the'air in'the'duct system. When the temperature `drops` the air movement through the' plug i'sfreversed.

In operative position, as shown in llig.2,"-'it 'will "l. b e noted thatthe lower end ofthefvent r li1gII ,"'.l

extends below, the rubberseal I lf., a'fcertainfdisg` tance'fwhich distance is disclosed" 3,1m. a. i when 'ia this' posiuonficenain; jeg- 1re rounding'- airspace within" c.uct"l,"' thuspermitr ting 'a certain' now oi' airl therethrough,"in direct Bit;

proportien to' the theA ventplug'; iand thus alter.' the rate oifrise of.

pressure .withinthe duotsystem-ver of 1 plugsetting jot B. the' cap 4 isjloosenedand removed with csp Il. the seal-wituitheplug li To decrease the rate of flow from the duct system, the ventplug Il may be raised'upwardly in its rubber sealing plug I2, and thus'decrease the amount of external area presented to the surrounding air spacev'in duct l.

The breather shownmay be made i'ro commercialicarbon rod lhaving such porosity'that a.

suitable, outside f diameter' in connection lwith a breathers oi. theprior,art.v Whatlclaim iszt'; '111- An' (slr, tii'aefflr.,y twwrmiemcomprising a detector, tubing, airigid breather oidense porousjmineralfmaterial; means .ior securing the breather to; sald 'system so .that airmay bainterchanged b'etyveefr` thefineide and outside-gif` the tubingthroughtne breather 2.'.1An air tube tirez. detector systemcornprising a' detector', tubing, Q a ,porous ,V carbon` breather,- means, for fsecuring the breather,u to saidqsystem so that airLmay .be interchan'ged betweenthelinside and. out'sid o lt.h e. .tubing throughfthe bre'th l .ff .f.`,.-. I ,.cfpfqilyiir-i",

` 3; ub'e nre detector system;comprising a detector", tubing, 'a rigidbreather ,otdense poe rous material means forsecurlngthe breathento saidfs'ystem sc gtlhatg,v alrlmay he interchangedgbe: tween` thefln'sidendoutside ci thetubin'gthrough the breathnsaid system also including means for adjustlngltheecapait i' .the breather' forrthe interchan'geo! air. 'gg-w 4 An `fli4l .tubefflr .ileiestersytemccmprisins `a detector, t'ubi'rig,,ja porous` carbong. breather.

means for securing the breather to said-system so thatv zair may beI interchanged between theg inside and outside ofthe tubingthrough the breather,

said system also'- includingjmeans lor". adjusting the capacityh f nd-tfieeimopherarsaid meensslsofin'cludins means, f or-varyingsthe exposed surface ,.oi, `.the breatherto the, capacity of thebreather. for

V detector, 'means iorming a ductffa ,gheatfconductive detectorf'tubej..a.n' `fl a pressures'ensitiveprtectivermeans communicat-l disposed rover' location's'it protected adhavincur-thse@ "metterla :basierendes bri-'case geroilsf' heattoloperatesaid protectivefmeansj and um@ ,esther onirica-'muovermi eens@ material maintes airfugnex In; sia duct aan-amies?meenemen.19: sans@ oist air throughthdbreatherinfbpposite direcfor-mim a duct: a heat-conductive detector tube and a pressure-sensitive protective means communi-l cating with said duct: and a rigid breather of non-hygroscopic rigid dense porous granular material mounted air-tight insaid duct and adapted for the passage of dry or highly moist nir through the breather in opposite directions during warm or cold weather: said'tube being disposed over location?. to be protected and having air therein adapted to be expanded by dangerous heat at .said location, thereby to operate said protective means: said breather being adapted during warm and cold weather to exhale highly moist air fast enough to prevent operation of the protective means by harmless rise.of temperature at such locations and to inhale fast enough during falling temperature to prevent harmful delay in protective-means operation by dangerous heat at any oi said locations.

8. In combination, a threaded member having a longitudinal duct flared to form an outer end seat; a compressible rubber seal member resting in said seat andhaving a bore; an.el cngated cylindrical porous vent plug in said boire and duct and smaller in diameter than the duct having an end projecting from the seal member, said vent plug having a longitudinal bore therein closed at the projecting end and open at theother; a perforatedcap over said vent plug and having a iiange resting on the threads of said seal; and a threaded nipple screwed on said member and having a ange engaged over said flange of the cap for pressing said seal member against the plug and seat.

' FRANK M; COWAN. 

